Jenkins hit streak at career-best 14

Their four-game split with the St. Louis Cardinals was their
third straight solid showing against a contender, after taking
three of four from Washington and two of three at Atlanta.

Geoff Jenkins had three hits and three RBI to extend his
hitting streak to a career-best 14 games and the Brewers
capitalized on shoddy defense Thursday in a 12-7 victory.

"Obviously, this is a great squad, the record speaks for
itself," Jenkins said of the Cardinals. "We've been playing
pretty good baseball ourselves."

The Brewers' 14-hit effort that chased Jason Marquis in the
fifth inning featured RBI singles from starter Chris Capuano and
reliever Matt Wise, the latter coming on his first career hit.
Milwaukee is 5-3 since the All-Star break after collapsing in the
second half last year, and improved to 3-7 against the Cardinals.

Albert Pujols had three hits and an RBI for the Cardinals,
although his run of homering in three straight games ended. Pujols
is batting .462 (18-for-39) against the Brewers with five homers
and 14 RBI.

Capuano (11-6) pitched into the sixth in 94-degree heat at game
time that rose to 97 and Russell Branyan homered off the
right-field scoreboard, a drive estimated at 458 feet. Capuano, who
gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings, beat a patchwork Cardinals
lineup minus rested starters Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker and David
Eckstein, and with 6-7-8 hitters that had totaled two RBI on the
year.

He said his biggest opponent was the heat and high humidity.

"That's the first time in my career that I honestly felt weak
because of the elements," Capuano said. "It was so hot towards
the end that I was getting a little light-headed."

Jenkins said it was tough for the fielders, too.

"It was kind of one of those days where almost whichever team
could keep the other team on their feet longer might outlast
them," Jenkins said. "I think that's all it was, we just made
them stay out there longer."

Mike Mahoney, who batted eighth, singled and drove in his first
three runs of the season. Hector Luna had a two-run double in the
ninth.

Jenkins, who kept his streak alive with a pinch-hit single on
Wednesday, had RBI singles in the third and fifth and hit his 12th
homer in the eighth on his 31st birthday. He is batting .451
(23-for-51) during the streak.

"Obviously, I'd like to do that on any day," Jenkins said.
"I'm sure mom will be real happy when she calls."

Marquis (9-7) lasted four-plus innings, tied for his
second-shortest outing of the year, after working 23 innings in his
previous three starts. His highlight was a run-scoring single in
the fourth that gave him a .360 average and eight RBI, both highs
in the NL for pitchers.

"I don't think the heat played a factor in my pitching,"
Marquis said. "I just made some bad pitches."

Third baseman Scott Rolen's throwing error helped the Brewers
score twice in the first. With Rickie Weeks breaking for home on
Lyle Overbay's grounder, Rolen's high throw to the plate eluded
Mahoney.

A throwing error by shortstop Abraham Nunez opened the door for
two more unearned runs in the third that put the Brewers, who got
an RBI single from Jenkins, ahead 4-0. Nunez also made an
ill-advised throw to the plate on Overbay's run-scoring groundout.

But manager Tony La Russa wasn't blaming the defense.

"You mean the same defense that turned five double plays?" La
Russa said. "It was a couple of plays. Our defense played today."

Capuano drove in his fifth run of the year in the fourth for a
5-0 lead before the Cardinals rallied in the bottom of the inning
on a two-run single by Mahoney and Marquis' run-scoring single.

The Brewers answered with three more in the fifth to chase
Marquis, including Jenkins' second RBI single and Branyan's ninth
homer. Milwaukee scored three more in the seventh with J.J. Hardy,
Wise and Brady Clark each getting an RBI.

Game notes

Marquis' outing ended a run of 13 straight starts by
Cardinals starters allowing three or fewer runs. The rotation was
9-1 with a 1.75 ERA in that span. ... Pujols is 5-for-9 against
Capuano. ... Capuano has 10 of the Brewers' major league-best 17
pickoffs, but he also was called for his third balk in the third.
... Capuano leads the major leagues with eight road victories.